ELECTORAL BILL Archives - Page 3 of 5

Electoral Act Amendment: NASS re-amends Bill, rescinds decision on direct primaries, as Senate, Reps. differ on consensus option

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 Aminu Imam

The National Assembly has re-amended the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill yesterday, approving both direct and indirect primaries for political parties for elective positions. Both Chambers made the re-amendment in separate plenary sessions. In the Senate, the lawmakers also added the consensus clause for the nomination of candidates by political parties. In a statement, the upper chamber equally noted that �a political party that adopts the direct primaries procedure shall ensure that all aspirants are given equal opportunity of being voted for by members of the party�. In a statement, the…

Reps. to amend parties’ mode of primaries in Electoral Bill on today � Gbajabiamila

January 19, 2022January 19, 2022 Aminu Imam

The House of Representatives is set to amend the provision of Direct Primaries in the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila disclosed this yesyetday, during his welcome remarks to members of the House after the Yuletide break. The Speaker said the version of the bill circulating is not the same as the version sent to President Muhammadu Buhari. He, however, assigned a committee to investigate this. According to him, the argument that political parties do not have a proper register of all their members…

Electoral Act: CSOs give Buhari, NASS ultimatum to pass Amendment Bill into law

January 18, 2022January 18, 2022 Aminu Imam

�’Override Buhari�s veto or delete areas of complaints’ – PDP tells lawmakers A coalition of leading Civil Society Organisations, (CSOs), working for the perfection of the electoral system in Nigeria have urged the legislature and President Muhammadu Buhari to conclude the process of the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill by January, 31. The CSOs, who made their appeal yesterday in Abuja, during a news conference, also said that any further delay on the conclusion of the Electoral Act amendment process was inimical to the preparations for Ekiti and Osun States off-cycle…

“I will sign Electoral Bill if NASS includes consensus candidates and indirect primaries” � Buhari

January 6, 2022January 6, 2022 Aminu Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari has explained why he didn�t sign the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill which was passed in the National Assembly in 2021. The President, in an interview on a television programme yesterday, expressed readiness to sign the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill if the necessary adjustments are made. Buhari said NASS should add consensus candidates, indirect primary options to the mode of selecting a candidate for an election, as against the initial direct mode as the only option to conduct primaries by political parties. According to him, �All I said…

Electoral Bill: Reps. tackle AGF over alleged misleading advice

January 1, 2022January 1, 2022 Aminu Imam

�Set to review direct party primaries clause after New Year break Some aggrieved members of the 9th Assembly accused Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN), of misleading President Muhammadu Buhari that led to his decision to withhold assent to the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill, 2021. Chairman, Adhoc Committee investigating Federal Government�s abandoned properties across the country, Hon. Ademorin Kuye, warned the AGF to desist from any action capable of destroying the existing cordial Executive-Legislative relationship. Hon. Kuye, who frowned at Malami�s forceful and bitter…

Party Direct Primaries: ‘Why Buhari refused to assent to 2021 Electoral Act (amendment) Bill’ � Presidency

December 29, 2021December 29, 2021 Aminu Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari refused to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 into law to save Nigeria�s democracy, the Presidency has said. The president�s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Garba Shehu, made this known, in an issued statement, titled: �In amending the Electoral Act, the nation first, always for Mr. President�. Shehu explained that the proposed amendments entail significant legal, financial, economic and security consequences for all Nigerians. He said, �The President�s decision to withhold assent from the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 has come under scrutiny from media and…

Electoral Bill: Override Buhari�s veto, – NBA urges NASS

December 24, 2021December 24, 2021 Aminu Imam

The Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), has urged the National Assembly to override President Muhammadu Buhari�s veto on the Electoral Amendment Bill. The NBA had issued this statement a few days before President Buhari in a letter to the National Assembly on Tuesday, declined his assent to the Bill. Earlier, rising from its National Executive Committee (NEC) held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on December 16, the NBA had advised President Buhari to sign the Bill into law. The body, which just released its NEC resolution communiqu� on Wednesday, by the NBA�s…

Electoral Act: ‘Override Buhari, listen to Nigerians’, Northern group tells NASS

December 23, 2021December 23, 2021 Aminu Imam

The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, (NYCN), yesterday called on the National Assembly to override President Muhammadu Buhari and exercise its constitutional provision by vetoing the rejected Electoral Act (amendment) Bill by the president. AYCN President Isah Abubakar, in a statement, said that his organisation was disappointed by the action of Mr. President at the expense of millions of Nigeria, who look forward to an improved electoral system. According to him, “We noted with total dismay the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to refuse to sign the amended Electoral Bill…

Electoral Bill: Buhari missed a golden opportunity � CDD

December 23, 2021December 23, 2021 Aminu Imam

A pro-democracy, policy and research think-tank, Centre for Democracy and Development, (CDD), has said it was shocked by President Muhammadu Buhari�s decision to decline assent to the Electoral Bill 2021 passed and transmitted to him by the National Assembly. A statement issued yesterday by the CDD, signed by its Director, Idayat Hassan, noted that Nigerians had all expected that President Buhari would write his name in gold as the President who bequeathed an improved electoral framework to the country. Hassan said as the general election is just 14 months away,…

Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill: Senate backtrack threats to override Buhari

December 22, 2021December 22, 2021 Aminu Imam

After all the ground standing by some senators on Tuesday, when they threatened fire and brimstone on their determination to override President Muhammadu Buhari, the Senate however chickened out on Wednesday, at plenary. Recall that Senator representing Benue-South senatorial district, Abba Moro, had given the assurance that the majority of senators including himself are prepared this time around to override the President. Also, Senator George Sekibo had disclosed that about 73 signatures of aggrieved lawmakers have been collated adding that there is no going back on the decision to override…